Earthbound Farm Stand

September 26, 2010

A few weeks ago I flew back to California for by brother’s wedding in Carmel Valley and while I was out there, I stopped by The Earthbound Farm Stand because I’ve been dying to check it out. I’ve written reviews on “Earthbound Cook” and “Food to Live By,” cookbooks written by the owner of Earthbound Organic Farms, Myra Goodman. Myra suggested that I stop by and try out the cafe at the farm stand where you can order soups and sandwiches, and create your own salad from their beautiful salad bar. It’s culinary experiences like this that make me truly miss the central coast of California and all its fresh and delicious produce.

Earthbound Farm is the largest grower of organic produce that was started by Myra and her husband in Carmel Valley near the farm stand location. Today, you can visit the farm stand where they sell organic groceries and offer fresh fare to eat at the picnic area outside or take to go. The best part is, most of the produce is grown locally and all of the breads, frozen yogurt, and dressings are made fresh, on site.

I started with this beautiful salad bar. Heirloom lettuces, beets and tomatoes were like little jewels that had my mouth watering as I loaded my plate. If you haven’t tried baby heilroom lettuce, I suggest adding it to your bucket list. It has so much more depth and flavor than regular lettuce and adds a terrific bite to your salad.

My boyfriend had the vegetable panini made on foccacia bread with eggplant, goat cheese and basil and we shared the sweet potato soup. Everything was fresh and delicious.

The Earthbound Farm Stand is truly a great culinary experience and not just because of the groceries and food. The site has a large herb garden where you can clip your own herbs and buy them by the ounce, a very economical way to buy herbs since they often go to waste when you buy them by the bunch. There is an alphabet garden and a labyrinth for children year-round, and a corn maze, pumpkins and family activities each fall. I was smitten and I don’t even have kids! If you are ever in the area, you should definitely check this place out.